Flowering in late summer, hydrangeas brighten up borders just as other plants are starting to fade.
There is a hydrangea for everyone with colours ranging from clear blues, vibrant pinks, frosty whites, luscious lavenders and even fresh lime greens.
With such diversity, hydrangeas make a valuable plant for providing late summer colour in any garden.
They’re happy in the shade, and their big, beautiful flowers last well for weeks on end, even continuing to look good after they’ve faded and dried.
To ensure they remain in the best possible condition, gardening experts at Haskins have shared when to prune hydrangeas.
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There are two main groups of hydrangeas based on how they flower – plants that bloom on new growth and those that bloom on old growth.
When it comes to plants that bloom on new growth (those on this year’s stems), these hydrangeas form their buds in early summer on new growth and will flower reliably each year, requiring no special care.
They include the panicle varieties with their cone-shaped flowers and the smooth varieties with their big, bold ‘snowballs’.
The experts claimed that the “best time” to prune these types of hydrangeas is after flowering after flowering.
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To do so, gardeners should be removing spent flower heads and trim back wayward branches.
Those varieties that bloom on old growth (the ones growing on last year’s stems) consist of the oakleaf type, noted for their spectacular autumn colour and the big leaf type.
Climbing hydrangeas also fall into this group of plants that bloom on old growth.
The macrophylla types are the most common species and come in two flower types: mopheads which bear large ball-shaped flowers and lacecaps which form airy, flat-topped clusters of flowers.
Pruning for mopheads and lacecaps, the “best time” to prune them is after the blooms have faded.
Gardeners can also remove any dead wood on the plant in spring as well, not just in summer.
The experts claimed: “A common mistake is to prune before the flowers have bloomed resulting in a lack of flowers the following year.”
The oakleaf and climbing hydrangeas require minimal pruning. Long stems and dead wood can be removed in spring along with spent flower heads.
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